Frederic Bertley

Franklin Institute VP for Science and Innovation

As a current Dell Inspire 100 World Changer and Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree, Dr. Frederic Bertley oversees programs aimed at improving the quality of science education throughout the K-12 population, and augment science literacy for families as well as the non-scientist adult population. Dr. Bertley oversees both research-based projects as well as program development and implementation including: Gender & Family Learning; K-12 Professional Development; Learning Technologies; Community Outreach, Youth Programs and The Franklin Institute’s magnet high school, Science Leadership Academy. Additionally, he directs the prestigious Franklin Awards Program and the long-running Journal of The Franklin Institute. Dr. Bertley also founded and directs the lauded Color of Science™ program which highlights the fantastic contributions of persons of color to modern day science and engineering.

Frederic has a strong record in academia; he holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physiology and a Ph.D. in Immunology, both from McGill University. But even more relevant to his position at The Franklin is his formidable background in applied science and science education. After graduating from McGill, he turned his attention to the problem of the lack of health care and basic vaccines in developing nations. He joined a Harvard Medical School HIV Vaccine Research Group, and managed multinational teams in Haiti and Sudan. In addition, Dr. Bertley has lectured or taught classes in several STEM disciplines at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

Dr. Bertley spent over fifteen years developing science curricula for students from primary schools to graduate schools, and over thirteen years developing science education resources for non-profit organizations and for-profit corporations. Currently, he is a Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), serves on the Governor’s Advisory Board for Life Sciences Initiatives in Massachusetts and is the Goodwill Ambassador to Senegal for Science Education and Innovation. Dr. Bertley has received numerous honors including the Harvard Medical School Dean’s Service Award, Merck Scholarship and The President’s Award (QBMA) amongst others.